Because the more active parts of the brain require more oxygen, fMRI shows us which parts of the brain are more active than others.

Using fMRI, scientists have been able to identify distinct patterns of brain activity in the brains of chronic pain sufferers. These patterns of activity set chronic pain sufferers apart from healthy individuals.

In other words, you can actually see–in real time, from one minute to the next– how the brains of chronic pain patients are working differently than the brains of people without pain.

Although this work is still in the preliminary stages, I find this entire branch of research to be incredibly validating.

Someday, I believe, it will be much more difficult for doctors to dismiss chronic pain patients, because the effects of pain on the brain will be much better understood. After all, it will be less a matter of taking our word for it when we’re talking about something you’ve seen on an fMRI screen.

Additionally, there is every reason to believe this deeper understanding will, in turn, lead to better and better treatments. Right now, researchers such as Christopher deCharms and Dr. Sean Mackey (see below) are investigating how fMRI can provide as a form of biofeedback to allow patients to learn to control their own pain levels. There research is really promising so far, and I’m really hopeful about the future of this work.